This could have been completely avoided if the Eastern approach to Reno
was moved 5-10 miles to the east to keep commercial and gliders traffic
separate. Instead they bring commercial jets right down the ridge
crest in the prime local soaring area.

While we are on the approach path subject the Reno southern approach
goes directly to the west of Minden by 1 mile. This is very dangerous
in wave flying conditions.
Again this approach should be "dog legged" to the west over the lake to
keep traffic apart.

I bet there was not even a sectional out in the cockpit of the jet
showing the gliding operations area.

The typical knee jerk reaction is to shout "transponders for all" is
not the solution.
Plus it would need to be implemented on a national scale..

Hands up who has the panel space and budget right now for a
Transponder?

Lastly the local operators should brief visiting pilots that boating
around the Pinenuts really high is likely to get you run down by an
incoming jet on the eastern approach to Reno.

Anyway I am glad everyone is still alive and we are not mourning
another loss.

Al




Fred wrote:
What soaring pilots have been talking about for some time has happened.
Yesterday, in startling clear weather, with visibility measured in
dozens of miles or more, a Hawker jet ran into a sailplane at about
13,500' (5,000' AGL or more) some 10 miles east of Minden airport. The
sailplane pilot had come from Japanto enjoy several days of the world's
very best soaring. He was not disappointed: he towed into the air
around 1:00 p.m. and flew with several other pilots some fifty or so
miles south. The group of sailplane pilots was just returning to
Minden several hours later, talking to each other on the radio, when
they noticed the Japanese pilot was no longer answering their calls.

Shortly thereafter a Hawker jet landed at Carson City with pieces of a
sailplane wing embedded into its nose. The Hawker pilot said he had
hit a glider about 40 miles south. Local search and rescue groups were
called out and the sailplane wreckage was found on the east slope of
the Pine Nuts around 6:00 p.m. A LifeFlight helicopter was flying
through the area (totally unrelated to this search) and headed for the
wreckage. He saw a parachute on the ground and set down near that.
The pilot was not in the parachute, so all of us following the search
on radios on the ground figured the pilot was walking out. Sure
enough, he was found just before 7:00 p.m., walking out with minor cuts
and bruises.

This story ended with lots of sighs of relief but it could have been a
real tragedy. This was a totally VFR situation, where see and be seen
should have been in effect. I don't know yet what equipment the
sailplane had on board, but I know it was a very recently built plane.
The sailplane pilot was experienced and in good physical shape.

I don't know anything about the Hawker crew or what the NTSB will find
about their operation. My fear, though, is that the talking heads who
form much of Americans' opinions will start speaking out about the lack
of sophisticated equipment on board the sailplane. You know the kind:
"if that glider had an encoding transponder on it, this never would
have happened."

When you hear that, please point out to the speaker that the sailplane
pilot was following all the regulations, was flying in great visibility
near an airport that is maked on sectionals with a glider symbol and is
known worldwide for its fantastic soaring, and that the Hawker ran into
the saiplane, not the other way around.

And then offer up a little prayer that this won't happen again soon --
or to anyone you know. Fred